“You said we were out of coffee.”
“So?”
“So have you ever had the pleasure of dealing with Prince Rinaldi before he has caffeine?” he teased.
“Are you saying I’m a nightmare?” I feigned shock and horror, which had Shep chuckling and leaning in to press a kiss to my lips.
“It means I plan to keep my guy happy by running out to get some.”
I tsked and drew him closer by the waist of his jeans. “I’d be happy with you naked and spread beneath me…”
“You say that now, but in a couple of hours I’ll get terror Theo.”
This time I didn’t have to feign anything. “You little fucker?—”
“You didn’t say it was so little last night. In fact, I think I recall hearing, ‘Oh mon Dieu, Shep,your cock is so huge?—”
I burst into laughter at his fucked pronunciation, but couldn’t deny it was kind of endearing to hear him try. And he wasn’t wrong.
“You’re right, I did say that. Much more eloquently, but I did say it.”
“And if you don’t mind, I’d like to spend the day withthatTheo, not one who is cranky due to lack of caffeine.”
“Cranky?” I arched a brow. “I suppose that’s a step up from a reckless, chaotic nightmare.”
Shep’s lips curved against mine. “You’re still all of those things, but now that I know how to avoid them, I’m going to do my best to make sure I do.”
“Fair enough,” I said, and grabbed my sunglasses off the coffee table. “But you better include a pastry in that order too.”
Shep laced his fingers with mine and drew me into the elevator. “How about I include two?”
I slid my hands up Shep’s chest and pressed a kiss to his lips, taking advantage of the quick trip down to the ground floor, knowing the second we stepped outside any kind of touching would have to wait until we got home.
There’d been a couple of photos taken at the gala of Shep diving in to protect me in the heat of the moment that had garnered some mild speculation over whether there was more between us than America’s golden boy stepping up and being a hero.
For now, though, it seemed the press was happy to run with the fact there’d been no casualties, and were busy covering who the shooter might be and where he’d disappeared to, but, um…good luck with that. They weren’t going to find shit.
As the elevator opened and we headed toward the door, I slipped my sunglasses on and prepared to face the morning. What I wasn’t prepared for, however, the second Shep pulled open the door, was to be met with a dozen or more paparazzi who instantly perked up like wolves catching a scent.
The familiar sound of cameras whirred and flashed in front of us as the crowd converged.
“Prince Rinaldi, are you and Shepard more than friends?”
“Shepard? Did the prince stay at your place last night?”
“Are you two dating? Or just ‘comforting’ one another?”
Oh, we were comforting each other, all right, all night long. And had it been up to me, I would’ve told that nosy reporter exactly that, because, well, had theyseenShep?
Butheclearly had other ideas.
Shep’s hand clamped around my wrist and instantly pulled me back. He slammed the door shut on all their stunned faces, and luckily for us, the lobby door was wooden.
“Bill?” Shep said to the doorman in that all-too-serious tone that was just downright sexy. “Make sure no one gets inside, would you?”
“Yes, sir.”
Shep turned to me, a frown pulled between his brows, his lips drawn tight, and the expression was so damn cute I couldn’t help but laugh. “Why so serious, Mr. Winchester? Never been caught doing the walk of shame?”
